The taut frown of Vancouver contrasted with the bright, gap-toothed smile that’s clearly the face of these Winter Olympics.

This is Alexander Ovechkin, then and now, the winger who happens to be the centre of attention here.

Four years ago, with his head down, looking grim and moving at top speed, Ovechkin blazed through the Olympic media zone in Vancouver, ignoring frantic calls of his name.

Seemingly running from attention and responsibility — and that was before Team Russia collapsed at the Winter Olympics.

In a different media zone and time zone Monday, Ovechkin came off the ice at the Bolshoy Ice Dome with his eyes alive, his smile bright and wide, the grin almost gleaming, his body language completely at ease with himself, and he stopped and talked and then talked some more. He also grabbed the pout named Evgeni Malkin and urged him to engage himself.

In face and in design it is clear Ovechkin understands exactly what his country and he, himself, have undertaken here. These are the Ovechkin Olympics, all about Alex, all about Russia winning gold in hockey, all about the greatest of the current crop of great Russian players winning everything.

These aren’t the Pavel Datsyuk Olympics or the Games of Malkin or Ilya Kovalchuk — players of Ovechkin’s supreme level. These Games are undoubtedly Alex. The deer in the Olympic hockey headlights seems to be gone.

“The pressure is going to come 100%,” said Ovechkin, surrounded by notebooks and microphones and asked about it over and over again. “But right now we just have jet lag. Right now it’s night. I’m pretty sure you guys had the same thing for a couple of days. You just don’t realize what’s going on. And I’m pretty sure tomorrow or after tomorrow is going to be like it.”

Oh, he knows what’s going on.

He knows what’s on him. How can’t he?

Outside the Bolshoy Ice Dome, Ovechkin is everywhere. A giant-sized likeness of his face, with mouth open wide showing his signature missing-tooth smile, is found on something about the size of Sochi. On the Olympic Park grounds, his face is on every Coca-Cola machine, and there are an abundance of those. Turn on your television set here and you see Ovechkin. Open your newspaper, he is there. He is even on Aeroflot’s menus, in case you wanted your airline food to be brought to you by somebody.

In other words, it’s time. This Olympics, other than being a political showcase for Russia, comes with the hope of hockey gold. This is Vancouver on steroids for Ovechkin and the Russians. The heat is that much hotter. The expectation is the once-dominant Russians must return to that place.

Since the NHL players were first released to play Olympic hockey, the Russian team has gone in the wrong direction. A silver medal in Nagano. A bronze in Salt Lake City. A fourth-place finish in Turin. Sixth place in Vancouver.

The last Olympic gold medal for Russians came under the name of the Unified Team in 1992, back when they were great and they were playing mostly also-rans.

Up to that point, they had won seven of eight gold medals in hockey, missing only in the Miracle On Ice year, 1980.

But what’s even more telling is this: The last time Russia won a best-on-best tournament — with each country represented by their absolute best players — was in the 1981 Canada Cup. Thirty-three years ago.

Yes, there is amped-up pressure on Ovechkin and teammates to win here. But it may not be possible. It may be too large a mountain to climb considering all the setbacks of the past.

The Russian goaltending is decent with Semyon Varlamaov and Sergei Bobrovsky. The forwards, led by a line of Malkin, Ovechkin and Alex Semin, and a second line of Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov, may be the most explosive in the Games.

But it’s that defence that has to worry the Russians. Their best defenceman is Andrei Markov, who is neither young nor quick anymore. They have Slava Voynov from the Los Angeles Kings and he’s fine. But after that, it’s a whole lot of guessing.

Ovechkin, however, doesn’t seem worried. He is perpetually smiling, having not won a Stanley Cup or even been close, but believing gold is attainable here and maybe ordained.

“You have to enjoy your moment and enjoy your time,” said Ovechkin, still smiling. “Soon as you think different you’re gonna be stuck in something bad.”

ALL OF THE NHLers IN SOCHI

DATSYUK MISSES PRACTICE

The stars of the NHL took over their share of the stage Monday at the Olympics, but one of the biggest didn't hit the ice.

Russian centre Pavel Datsyuk, expected to have a spot between Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov, did not skate with his teammates in their first practice at the Bolshoy Ice Dome.

Datsyuk, the Detroit Red Wings superstar whose participation in the Olympics has been in doubt because of a lower body injury, was given the day off.

When asked if Datsyuk would play in Russia's opening game against Slovenia on Thursday, coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov said, in English: "I hope so."

He added through an interpreter: "I don't think it's a serious problem, dangerous. I think he's going to be okay."

Datsyuk's participation in these Games has been a controversial topic in Detroit, where general manager Ken Holland -- also a member of Team Canada's management team -- said he was powerless to stop Datsyuk from participating regardless of his health status.

"Pavel is a proud Russian, who has come home to win a medal for his country and he's going to do everything he can to do that," said Holland.

Holland added he wasn't worried about Datsyuk being held out of practice. He feels Datsyuk likely will have to take a break whenever he has the chance for the rest of this season.

"I understand it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Holland said. "In his hockey lifetime, the Olympics will never be in Russia (again), (and) he's the captain. He's probably been preparing for this two-week tournament five, six years ago when it was announced that it was coming to Russia.

"I'm sure if he couldn't play, he won't play. Is he 100%? Probably not, but there's probably other players in this tournament that aren't 100% as well. I'm hoping, obviously, when we come out of the tournament that he's ready to go for us. You're trusting that they're going to make the decisions that they know their bodies, he knows the challenges both in this tournament and when he gets back to Detroit."

In addition to the anticipated Datsyuk line -- Alexander Svitov took his place in practice Monday -- Evgeni Malkin skated between Alexander Semin and Alex Ovechkin.

When asked if those lines would stay intact, Bilyaletdinov replied through the interpreter: "Who were they? I think you know."